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Douglas County Sheriff's Marine Patrol is funded by the Oregon State Marine Board
(80%) and Douglas County (20%). It consists of two full time deputies, including
Pete Wood and
Tony Smith, along with two seasonal full time cadets. Five boats
(24'Almar with twin 125 outboard props, 20' Almar jet, 18' Almar RAIV jet, 18' Rendova outboard, 14'
Sotar cataraft). All of the boats are owned by the Marine board.
Regular patrols are conducted on all lakes and rivers in
Douglas County. Some of the most popular are Diamond Lake, Lemolo Lake, Cooper Creek,
Galesville Reservoir, Ben Irving Reservoir, Loon Lake, Tahkenitch Lake, Winchester Bay,
Umpqua River system and Smith River system.
Boating News
The Oregon Legislature passed HB
2977 during the 1999 session, requiring Oregon boaters to have a boater
education certificate before operating power boats of more than 10 horsepower. The law
also requires children age 12 to 15 to have certification to operate any power boat up to
10 horsepower. Boats have grown in power, speed and size in recent decades, and the number
of power boats in Oregon has grown 60 percent in the last 20 years. This legislation will
help keep Oregon's increasingly crowded waterways safe for all boaters.
As of January 1, 2007, boaters 60 and younger must now carry a boater education
card when operating powerboats (including personal watercraft or any motorized watercraft)
greater than 10 hp. Visit the
Oregon State Marine Board website for more information.
The Oregon State Marine Board is offering boater safety courses which satisfies the education
requirement for your boater’s education card. These courses are offered
once a month through
Umpqua Community College and instructed by Marine
officers.
There are new equipment requirements for Outfitter/Guides on Class III rapids.
The requirements can be found on the
Oregon State
Marine Board website.
A Boating safety "Class" is available to all grade schools in the
county. Please call 440-4447 to schedule.
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